Cleaning device for shoe soles

ABSTRACT

For use in lieu of or in conjunction with a household or equivalent entrance doormat, a portable brushing, swabbing and cleaning device for muddy and dirty boots or shoes. It comprises a self-standing open top boxlike base or pan whose receptacle portion is filled to a desirable level with detergent-containing water. A cover spans and closes the open top and has depending rim flanges snugly but slidingly contacting the interior walls of the pan. The plate portion of the cover descends when weight or pressure is applied and has a semicircular slotted well in which water is pooled to soak the nylon swabbing surfaces of a pair of freely rotatable brushing and cleaning rollers. An upstanding scraper is provided at one end of the pan.

United States Patent Hansen 1 Feb. 15,1972

[54] CLEANING DEVICE FOR SHOE SOLES [72] Inventor:

Vale, Oreg. 97918 [22] Filed: July 20, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 56,457

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,952,222 3/1934 Rostokel'..l5/36 2,958,883 11/1960 Walters ..l5/97A Wesley M. Hansen, Route #2,Box l-A,

Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin AttorneyClarence A. OBrien and HarveyB. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT For use in lieu of or in conjunction with ahousehold or equivalent entrance doormat, a portable brushing, swabbingand cleaning device for muddy and dirty boots or shoes. It comprises aself-standing open top boxlike base or pan whose receptacle portion isfilled to a desirable level with detergentcontaining water. A coverspans and closes the open top and has depending rim flanges snugly butslidingly contacting the interior walls of the pan. The plate portion ofthe cover descends when weight or pressure is applied and has asemicircular slotted well in which water is pooled to soak the nylonswabbing surfaces of a pair of freely rotatable brushing and cleaningrollers. An upstanding scraper is provided at one end of the pan.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CLEANING DEVICE FOR SHOE SOLES Thisinvention relates, broadly stated, to that field of inventionscategorized as brushing, scrubbing and cleaning and has to do, moreparticularly, with devices which are designed, adapted and suitablyconstructed to brush, wipe and free ones boots, shoes or footwear ofaccumulated mud, dirt and debris prior to entering a home, a building orplace of business.

The brushing and cleaning device herein disclosed may be used alone orin combination with various types of inside or outside doormats. To theends desired, it has to do with shoe sole and boot sole cleaners whereinthe broad concept comprehends the use of a water containing pan or ananalogous base or receiver wherein one or more rollers which arecoordinated therewith, provide rotary cleaning brushes. The US. Pat. toII. Walters, No. 2,958,883 is exemplary of one prior art device. Forfurther examples reference may be made to the nondriven rollers in agenerally similar adaptation disclosed in Louis Rostoker, US. Pat. No.1,952,222 and box-type base and brush-equipped platform constructionshown in Richard S. Broge, U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,832.

An object of the present invention is to advance the art to which thedisclosed invention relates and, in so doing, to provide a simple,practical and an efficient device which is characterized, generallystated, by a self-standing panlike base, a cover for the open top of thebase having a self-contained well and equipped with a pair ofappropriately cooperable roller-type brushes which are set into motionby the user.

Briefly the rectangular flat-bottom open-top pan constitutes aself-standing base whose receptacle portion is charged with apredetermined quantity of water, with or without a detergent. One endwall of the base can, if desired, be increased in height so that theupper edge thereof provides a simple shoe sole scraper. A recedingweight responsive cover completely spans the open top of the pan. Thiscover is of elongated rectangular .caplike form with its open bottomfacing and coacting with the open top of the pan or base. A plateportion of the cover provides a substantially semicircular w ell. Waterfrom the receptacle portion of the pan finds its way into and provides apool of water in the well by way of an entrance slot. The well serves toaccommodate a pair of spaced parallel suitably covered foot actuatedrollers which in turn constitute swabbing and cleaning brushes. Thedepending flanges on the cover provide a satisfactory rim and this rimis fitted telescopingly into the receptacle portion of the watercontaining pan. The air pockets provided at the respective end portionsof the rollerequipped well serve to cushion the cover and cause it tofloat. As the water is evaporated the cover can telescope downwardly.Normally however the water will be kept at the approximate levelillustrated in the views of the drawing.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. I is a view in perspective of a cleaning device for the soleportions of boots and shoes (not. shown) constructed in accordance withthe principles of the invention and usable, it is submitted, in aself-evident manner.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal sectional view.

And FIG. 3 is a central transverse or vertical section taken on theplane of the section line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of theindicating arrows.

The aforementioned boxlike or pan-type base is denoted by the numeral 6and in practice is made of appropriate moldable plastic or equivalentmaterial. It is light in weight but nevertheless strong and durable forthe purposes desired. This base comprises a flat bottom wall 8, spacedparallel longitudinal sidewalls l and intervening and connectingtransverse end walls 12. These walls 10 and 12 are at right angles tothe plane of the base. This base is open at the top and the receptacleportion is denoted at 14. An appropriate quantity of water, with orwithout a detergent compound, is placed in the receptacle portion. Anupper end of the end wall at the right in FIGS. 1 and 2 is extended asat 16 to provide an elevated shoe scraper.

The complemental attachable and detachable caplike cover is denoted bythe numeral 18. The plate portion thereof is denoted at 20 and providesa satisfactory platform. The depending rim means comprises longitudinalside flanges 22 and complemental transverse end flanges 24. I-Iereagainthe cover is made of suitable lightweight plastic material and isproportional so that it spans the upper open end of the base. Theflanges which define the rim are such that they fit with requisitenicety within the limits of the side and end walls of the base as isevident in the several views of the drawing. Thus the cover issnug-fitted but is subject to movement downwardly relative to the watercontaining pan. The median or central portion of the plate part isfashioned into and provides what is here described as a substantiallysemicircular well 26. This well is of a length proportional with thepart of the pan in which it is slidingly fitted. The central convexportion is provided with aperture means, more particularly, alongitudinal slot 28 which allows water from the pan to flow into thesump portion of the well as denoted at 30 in FIG. 2. The median portionsof the sidewalls, that is, the portions 32 (FIG. I) are provided withupwardly opening centrally spaced keeper notches 34 for reception andretention of axial journals 36 on the ends of the paired cylindricalrollers 38. These rollers are arranged in side-by-side spaced parallelrelation as shown in FIG. 2 and the lower half portions dip into thewater containing sump of the well. The peripheral surface portions ofthe rollers are coated or covered with compressibly resilient toughnylon as at 40. These nylon-covered rollers constitute swabbing andcleaning free-turning applicable and removable brushes 39. When theparts are assembled and ready for use as shown with particularity inFIG. 2, the end portions 42 of the cover provide air retaining andcushioning pockets. It follows that the cover floats atop the water toaccomplish the usable cleaning result illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be evident that the cover means 18 is applicable and removable.When it is removed (not shown) it renders the receptacle portion 14 ofthe base or pan accessible. A predetermined amount of washing andcleaning water, with or without appropriate detergent media, is pouredinto the receptacle portion so that it will assume the approximate levelillustrated in FIG. 2 when the cover has been positioned in usableposition. With the cover in place the flanges 22 and 24 which constitutethe rim, are fitted telescopingly and slidingly in the receptacleportion. The concavo-convex semicircular well 26 allows a limited amountof water to pool itself in the sump as shown particularly in FIG. 2.Assuming that the brushes or rollers 39 have been positioned to operatein conjunction with each other, it will be evident that the user placesthe sole and heel of a shoe or boot atop the rollers and moves the footback and forth or in such other directions as are necessary to scrub,brush or clean mud, dirt and debris from the surfaces in a manner toprepare the same for acceptable entry into a home, lobby, building orthe like. Where there has been an accumulation of mud or snow oradhering debris, the latter can be scraped in a self-evident manner byusing the upstanding easily accessible scraper 16.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A cleaning and brushing device for boots, shoes and the likecomprising an open top pan constituting a base and providing areceptacle portion for a predetennined quantity of water, a recedingweight responsive cover completely spanning the open top of said pan,said cover embodying a plate portion providing a platform and having amarginal rim portion fitting telescopingly into said receptacle, a pairof sideby-side coplanar companion rollers mounted for free rotation on amedian part of said plate portion, said rollers having absorbentsurfaces, the median part of said plate portion being dished in a mannerto provide an open top well, said well having aperture means whichallows water from said receptacle portion to flow into and partiallyfill the well in which said rollers are partially immersed and soaked ina manner to swash and cleanse the boot surfaces which are applied to andwiped against said absorbent surfaces.

2. The cleaning and brushing device defined in and according to claim 1,and wherein said dished portion is substantially semicircular intransverse cross section, the aperture means comprising a slot which isformed lengthwise of a median bottom part of said dished portion.

3. The cleaning and brushing device defined in and according to claim 1,and wherein said pan is portable and self-standing and has a horizontalbottom wall marginally surrounded by upstanding side and end walls, therim portion of said cover embodying depending side and end flangeshaving snug sliding but telescoping contact with oriented interiorsurfaces of said side and end walls.

4. A cleaning and brushing device for dirt and debris-laden boots, shoesor the like comprising a substantially rectangular portable pan, saidpan being self-standing and having a substantially horizontal bottomwall surrounded by marginally attached upstanding side and end walls,said walls and bottom wall constituting a receptacle portion for apredetermined supply of water, a weight responsive cover completelyspanning an open top portion of said pan, said cover embodying a plateportion the ends of which constitute platform surfaces, and said plateportion provided with depending side and end flanges having snug slidingbut telescoping contact with oriented interior surfaces of the side andend walls of said pan, an intermediate transverse portion of said plateportion having a dished part constituting a well, the median lengthwiseconvex portion of said well having a slot which functions to permitwater to pool itself in the sump of the well, and a pair of sideby-sidecoplanar companion rollers cooperable with said well.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 and wherein the rollers are providedat their ends with axial journals, said journals being rotatably andremovably mounted in keeper notches provided therefore in coacting endwall portions of said well.

6. The cleaning and brushing device for boots and shoes defined in andaccording to claim 5 and wherein the peripheral surfaces of the rollersare covered with nylon pile, thus providing the desired water applyingand wiping efi'ects necessary for roller turning and shoe scrubbing andcleaning results.

7. The cleaning and brushing device defined in and according to claim 6and wherein one transverse end wall of the aforementioned pan isprovided with a vertical extension, the upper edge of which rises to alevel above the plate portion of the cover and peripheral surfaceportions of the rollers to provide an accessible and readily usablescraper.

' 8. A cleaning and brushing device for dirt laden boots, shoes or thelike comprising a portable open top self-standing pan having a bottomwall marginally surrounded by upstanding interconnected side and endwalls defining a receptacle portion, a weight-responsive covercompletely spanning the open top of said pan, said cover embodying aplate marginally provided with depending flanges having snug but slidingtelescoping contact with oriented interior surfaces of the side and endwalls of said pan, an intermediate transverse portion of said platebeing dished downwardly and providing a well, said well depending intothe receptacle portion of said pan, being substantially semicircular intransverse cross section and having a bottom slot by way of which waterin the receptacle portion enters the sump of said well, and a pair ofcoplanar side-byside nylon-covered rollers operatively mounted forsimultaneous movable operation within the sump portion of said well,

said rollers having upper segmental surface portions projecting foraccessible wiping usg ab ove the level of said plate.

1. A cleaning and brushing device for boots, shoes and the likecomprising an open top pan constituting a base and providing areceptacle portion for a predetermined quantity of water, a recedingweight responsive cover completely spanning the open top of said pan,said cover embodying a plate portion providing a platform and having amarginal rim portion fitting telescopingly into said receptacle, a pairof side-by-side coplanar companion rollers mounted for free rotation ona median part of said plate portion, said rollers having absorbentsurfaces, the median part of said plate portion being dished in a mannerto provide an open top well, said well having aperture means whichallows water from said receptacle portion to flow into and partiallyfill the well in which said rollers are partially immersed and soaked ina manner to swash and cleanse the boot surfaces which are applied to andwiped against said absorbent surfaces.
 2. The cleaning and brushingdevice defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said dishedportion is substantially semicircular in transverse cross section, theaperture means comprising a slot which is formed lengthwise of a medianbottom part of said dished portion.
 3. The cleaning and brushing devicedefined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said pan is portableand self-standing and has a horizontal bottom wall marginally surroundedby upstanding side and end walls, the rim portion of said coverembodying depending side and end flanges having snug sliding buttelescoping contact with oriented interior surfaces of said side and endwalls.
 4. A cleaning and brushing device for dirt and debris-ladenboots, shoes or the like comprising a substantially rectangular portablepan, said pan being self-standing and having a substantially horizontalbottom wall surrounded by marginally attached upstanding side and endwalls, said walls and bottom wall constituting a receptacle portion fora predetermined supply of water, a weight responsive cover completelyspanning an open top portion of said pan, said cover embodying a plateportion the ends of which constitute platform surfaces, and said plateportion provided with depending side and end flanges having snug slidingbut telescoping contact with oriented interior surfaces of the side andend walls of said pan, an intermediate transverse portion of said plateportion having a dished part constituting a well, the median lengthwiseconvex portion of said well havinG a slot which functions to permitwater to pool itself in the sump of the well, and a pair of side-by-sidecoplanar companion rollers cooperable with said well.
 5. The structuredefined in claim 4 and wherein the rollers are provided at their endswith axial journals, said journals being rotatably and removably mountedin keeper notches provided therefore in coacting end wall portions ofsaid well.
 6. The cleaning and brushing device for boots and shoesdefined in and according to claim 5 and wherein the peripheral surfacesof the rollers are covered with nylon pile, thus providing the desiredwater applying and wiping effects necessary for roller turning and shoescrubbing and cleaning results.
 7. The cleaning and brushing devicedefined in and according to claim 6 and wherein one transverse end wallof the aforementioned pan is provided with a vertical extension, theupper edge of which rises to a level above the plate portion of thecover and peripheral surface portions of the rollers to provide anaccessible and readily usable scraper.
 8. A cleaning and brushing devicefor dirt laden boots, shoes or the like comprising a portable open topself-standing pan having a bottom wall marginally surrounded byupstanding interconnected side and end walls defining a receptacleportion, a weight-responsive cover completely spanning the open top ofsaid pan, said cover embodying a plate marginally provided withdepending flanges having snug but sliding telescoping contact withoriented interior surfaces of the side and end walls of said pan, anintermediate transverse portion of said plate being dished downwardlyand providing a well, said well depending into the receptacle portion ofsaid pan, being substantially semicircular in transverse cross sectionand having a bottom slot by way of which water in the receptacle portionenters the sump of said well, and a pair of coplanar side-by-sidenylon-covered rollers operatively mounted for simultaneous movableoperation within the sump portion of said well, said rollers havingupper segmental surface portions projecting for accessible wiping useabove the level of said plate.